This invention relates to a linear digital readout for giving a visual digital indication of relative movements between parts of a machine and the like, and to a unique means for mounting the linear digital readout to the machine and the like.
In particular, the present invention relates to a unique linear digital readout and unique means for mounting the same to a machine, such as a Bridgeport milling machine, and the like. The linear digital readout of the present invention comprises a scale carried by one movable part of the machine and a reading head carried by another, adjacent movable part of the machine and in operative association with the scale. The reading head is connected with a digital display unit to give a visual digital indication of relative movements between said two parts of the machine. Unique mounting means is connected with the scale to secure the scale to said one part of the machine and unique mounting means is connected with the reading head to secure the reading head to said other movable part of the machine, said mounting means enabling said scale and reading head to be connected to the machine in a minimum amount of time and with a minimum amount of effort to give a durable and economical linear digital readout for the machine.
The scale and reading head are preassembled and prealigned at the factory and, accordingly, all that is necessary for the operator to do is to secure the scale and reading head to their respective parts of the machine and to make minor adjustments to accurately align the readout with the machine.
More specifically, the scale is supported in a housing which is secured by the mounting means to said one part of the machine, and the housing has reading head guide ways therein, which are aligned with the ways of the machine and, accordingly, with the reading head secured by the mounting means to the other movable part of the machine, relative movement between the scale and reading head is parallel to and guided by the ways of the machine.
A linear digital readout, as described above, is exceptionally time saving and economical to use and eliminates the necessity of an operator of the machine to read various micrometer scales and the like which is tedious and requires a great amount of time and is highly susceptible to error on the part of the operator. With the present invention, the scale and reading head are quickly and easily attached to the respective parts of the machine and when operatively positioned, they give a digital visual readout on a display unit, thus significantly increasing the speed with which an operator is enabled to operate the machine and resulting in a substantial savings in the use of the machine.